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"Miss Dougherty, may I have a ith you?" Professor Mires asked as Liz walked past her

"Of course," Liz said She hoped she didn’t get in trouble for being on her computer all class She was normally more focused than she had been today, but with both Hayden and Brady swirling around in her thoughts, it was hard to concentrate on the lecture

Liz stood off to the side while her class then a seat on the wood stool in from of the podiuht you said it was okay forProfessor Mires had never pulled her aside to discuss her acadehthe articles for the assignment at all I think real-life practicum in journalism is essential to iraduation I ao above and beyond the classroo tone

Liz could feel a "but" co on at the end of that statement The professor seemed to have more to say

"I do have soh," Professor Mires said, handing over Liz’s paper

She took it in her hands and saw the red ink scrawled all over the first article she had written about Brady It was the one that had met with such fanfare from the students on campus They’d had to reprint because of it She flipped it to the last page and saw a big C+ circled on the page Her heart sank She had never received a C in her entire life Not once She could count the number of B minuses on one hand What the hell had happened?

If she didn’t irade, she could lose her scholarship!

"A C plus?" Liz asked, her voice cracking

"It’s not that the article is poorly written It reads really well, and it’s polished"

"Then what’s wrong?" she asked, skie

"In journalism we strive for objectivity if at all possible Had this article just been so for the student body and not for me, then it would have been sufficient, but you must think of your audience How broad could it be? Who could be reading it? When I read the article, I heard your voice, which is very clear and solid, and then I heard your opinion on the Senator"

Her opinion on the Senator How ironic, considering they had been in a hotel roorowth and your grade reflects that Strive for objectivity in your writing I don’t want your opinions to bleed onto the page You’re not writing an editorial I wouldn’t have accepted editorials Take a chance to look at the other side, do some more research, and then write an article that clearly states the facts," Professor Mires instructed her "I’e of e find a happy medium between the two I believe you can do it, and I’ll expect it to irade"

"Thank you," Liz said, rolling the paper up in her hand for her to look over later "I’ll do my best"

"You always do, Liz," she said with a smile

Liz walked out of the classrooht that she had been objective and looked at both sides this whole ti her the opposite, and Liz wasn’t even sure where to begin If she wanted that A, then she had her work cut out for her this summer

Chapter 10

STAYING PROFESSIONAL

Liz sat with her friend Justin in the sound booth at the Great Hall auditoriuranted for their event It was a large rooe and podium The Great Hall was a hot spot on caroups for theater productions, dance performances, a cappella shows, and the like

Today it was covered in the red-white-and-blue signs the can that had the Maxwell logo in the center--VOTE FOR MAXWELL in a circle with the words bolded VOTE FOR ritten like an Around, with MAXWELL in a stark, blocky white font A globe focused on North A Liz’s belief that Brady wanted to take over The logo was a power symbol, and noould be all over ca into the roo down It was the summer session, but after Liz’s articles and the work she had done building up to this, the room was pretty full She wasn’t sure why she had put so much effort into it, but she wanted the event to be successful

Part of her wanted to say that it was only for the paper and her career If more people came to these events and showed an interest, then her coluht be able to hit the front cover more often At least overshadow another drunken debauchery scene on Franklin Street for once

But the rest of her kneas because of Brady He was clouding her judget attached to the people she riting about

Objective Neutral Unbiased Those were the words that caht of journalism That hat her professor wanted her to strive for Now all she was thinking in thewas Brady

Brady Brady Brady

He was about to get on that stage and talk about education policy, no doubt This was the audience for that kind of discussion If she were up there, that hat she would talk about The very thought made her blood boil for so many reasons She wasn’t sure which one was the primary reason now

Was she infuriated because he was actually going to try to discuss education with a sea of students whoe? Or was she heated because it would be the first ti his hotel rooo?

"So, you wantaway his careat We don’t have the normal crew for the paper, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t have to deal with video as well," she told him